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This time, she couldn’t part with the truth as easily. At her stubborn silence, he sighed and combed a hand through his hair, signaling that she wasn’t the only one frustrated. The action had his hair falling to his forehead once more to cover his furrowed brows. She twisted her body, but he just as stubbornly held her in place.
“Ruby…” he said slowly, gathering his ruminations. “You are already in hot water, and this is going to make it worse. Do your sisters know about you stealing stuff?”
“No, they don’t. You don’t need to tell them, and you don’t need to get involved. You don’t get to stop me, either.”
But she knew the words were a lost cause when steel entered his tone.
“Yes, I do. Hand it over, Ruby. Whatever you took.”
“I don’t—”
“Ruby. Please.”
She shut her mouth, understanding he had reached a phase where there was just no arguing with him anymore. Her shoulders slumped.
“Okay. Fine.”
The decision sharpened at the last second, her hand slipping into her pocket before she could even think about it. Before he could reach for her hand, she dropped the stone to the ground and stomped on it, hearing the crack as it broke into pieces. In the blink of an eye, she felt a surge of energy and willed her mind to think about the prize she wanted to attain the most. A hiss slipped out of Maddox’s throat as he glanced down at the gleaming pieces.
“What did you do?”
“I’m sorry. And I’m sorry for this.”
Ruby kicked him hard and jumped to the portal opening behind them.
Chapter 5
Ruby moved fast, breaking his stereotype of how non-vampires and non-shifters often moved and making a few things clear to him: that it was too late for him to stop her, and waiting for the portal to close meant he might never see her again. Just like that, Maddox’s priorities shifted as he turned but didn’t reach out for her. Instead, he ran to catch up, the sight of her shoes catching his attention before he dove in after her.
He knew of portals and knew they could open as easily as knowing the coordinates and key positions one had to be in to get from one island to the next. He knew those with magic could open them faster but hadn’t tried it out himself, so the sense of being wrapped in a huge undertow jarred him into a massive world of confusion. He fought it at first, then gave in, allowing it to suck him lower and lower until it felt like he was sinking into his doom. Just as he was about to panic, the sucking motion stopped, a bright light glimmered, and he was thrown—hard enough that he was sent tumbling to a hard surface.
Beside him, there was a gasp. “Mad! What the hell?”
“If you are determined to be stubborn, so am I.”
“This is stupidity. This is idiotic. You don’t know how this works. You could have gotten yourself killed.”
Even while the words flew from her mouth, her hands were tugging him up and patting him from head to toe. He sensed her genuine fear when she held his face in her fingers. It slowly transitioned to relief when she peered into his eyes.
“I’m in one piece,” he said, adding to the assurance.
She sighed. She pushed him back, switching back to anger as she glared at him. Before she could say anything, the portal gleamed once more, then pushed out a figure that landed on all fours and quaked all over. But Moon’s human form allowed him to easily rise to his feet as he looked at them.
“I saw the light, and you guys enter. I’m not staying on that island without you guys.”
Ruby’s mouth dropped open as she shook her head repeatedly.
“This is so messed up,” she croaked. “You are not supposed to be here, either.”
“Where is here?” Moon asked curiously, not as fazed as the two of them.
“Not Broom’s Isle,” Maddox answered.
The portal gleamed another round, drawing his body tight as yet another figure stumbled out. This time, the land was graceful, two feet braced before they relaxed. He studied the blonde man, who studied him and Moon back before the focus landed on Ruby.
“There you are.”
“Oh, for the love of—” She pressed her lips together, visibly trying to keep herself from exploding. She exhaled deeply and spoke in a calmer voice. “Brian, can you seal the portal before others find this and get in, too? Please?”
